Rising Star (utility)
Rising Star (utility)
This award is open to any woman who has worked in the utilities industry for fewer than five years and demonstrates huge potential, while making a significant contribution to their organisation and to the industry as a whole and demonstrating an ongoing commitment to innovation.
The contenders
Ella Moorey
Utilita Energy
At just 26, Ella Moorey has delivered one of the sector’s most important sustainability innovations: automating the notoriously difficult task of carbon accounting for Scope 3 emissions. Leveraging Utilita’s 95% smart meter penetration, Ella has created the industry’s first Live Carbon Dashboard, giving unprecedented real-time visibility of emissions. By making the data live, Utilita can spot patterns immediately, link operational decisions to emissions outcomes in near real-time, and identify opportunities to reduce carbon on the spot rather than months later. This breakthrough demonstrates how Ella is redefining sustainability in practice - an inspiring Rising Star shaping the sector’s low-carbon future.
Eshna Sikri
BU-UK
Eshna Sikri is an exceptional early‑career engineer whose talent, curiosity and drive are already shaping the future of Power On and the wider BUUK Group. Combining technical excellence with bold, forward‑thinking innovation, she has improved design quality, advanced sustainable engineering solutions and strengthened engagement across teams and regions. Her leadership potential is unmistakable: she elevates standards, inspires collaboration and approaches every challenge with purpose and ambition. Eshna is not only delivering meaningful impact today — she is fast becoming one of the sector’s most inspiring emerging leaders.
Gunjan Arora
Energised Futures - powered by Centrica
Gunjan Arora is reshaping the utilities sector by fusing commercial strategy with deep technical expertise and user‑centred energy innovation. Since joining Energised Futures – powered by Centrica – in December 2024, she has built the operational foundations that drive its innovation engine, forged strategic partnerships across academia and industry, and accelerated the journey from early‑stage concepts to real‑world solutions. She also champions women and under‑represented talent, driving measurable improvements in diversity and developing tools that support career progression. Her work advances the energy transition while shaping the people, systems and culture needed for a new future.
Hannah Harris
UK Power Networks
As the world was shutting down in the wake of Covid-19, industries suffered widespread job losses, leaving workers bereft. One of those was event manager Hannah Harris. As one door closed, she forced another one open with determination and resolve, building skills and knowledge at UK Power Networks. Hannah Harris is now a project manager delivering multi-million-pound schemes across London, working in iconic, busy streets with high-profile customers. She helps keep the lights on for one of the world’s busiest cities and is carving out a shining utility career - despite being far removed from the traditional ‘pale, stale, male!’
Isabella Boucher
AWIN
With only two years in the water industry, Isabella has become a driving force behind operational transformation at AWIN. Operating in a fast-growing start-up utility environment, she leads the delivery of over 260 NAV projects with a combined portfolio value of £90 million, while designing scalable systems that have enabled the company’s project pipeline to grow from three to over 200 active schemes. Alongside transforming project delivery, Isabella is passionate about supporting young women entering the sector and shaping a more diverse future. Through mentoring, STEM advocacy and youth engagement, she is encouraging younger generations to pursue careers in water.
Katy Francis
Affinity Water
Katy Francis is an exceptional emerging leader who has rapidly shaped Affinity Water’s environmental performance since joining the industry in 2022. As Performance Insight Lead, she has transformed reporting, strengthened governance, and enhanced strategic decision making across the organisation. She created and now chairs the company’s Environment Programme Board, including senior leaders, to drive coherent environmental improvement. Her work has delivered measurable outcomes, including zero serious pollution incidents and 100% discharge compliance in her first year. Katy’s innovation, leadership, and commitment to supporting and developing others mark her as a true rising star with significant future potential.
Siva Kaviya Trichy Siva Raman
NESO
Kaviya Sivaraman is an emerging leader in the UK energy sector, delivering outsized early‑career impact across digitalisation, interoperability, and system innovation. As a Technical Specialist at NESO, she plays a key role in developing the Data Sharing Infrastructure MVP and advancing the Virtual Energy System through CIM expertise, data‑model leadership, and cross‑industry collaboration. Beyond her technical work, she is a powerful force for culture and capability building: WiN Development Lead, Coding Café founder, CIGRE UK representative, mentor, and award‑winning inclusion advocate. Her contributions demonstrate rare technical depth, community leadership, and clear future senior‑leader potential.